U.S. Pat. No. 6,354,760, which is entitled System for Transferring Loads Between Cast-in-Place Slabs and issued Mar. 12, 2002, to Russell Boxall and Nigel Parkes, discloses a load plate for transferring loads between a first cast-in-place slab and a second cast-in-place slab separated by a joint. The load plate has at least one substantially tapered end adapted to protrude into and engage the first slab. The load plate is adapted to transfer between the first and second slabs a load directed substantially perpendicular to the intended upper surface of the first slab.
PCT application WO 03/023146 A1, which was published Mar. 20, 2003, is entitled Load Transfer Plate for in Situ Concrete Slabs, and for which Russell Boxall and Nigel Parkes are applicants and inventors, discloses a tapered load plate that transfers loads across a joint between adjacent concrete floor slabs. The tapered load plate accommodates differential shrinkage of cast-in-place concrete slabs. When adjacent slabs move away from each other, the narrow end of the tapered load plates moves out of the void that it created in the slab thus allowing the slabs to move relative to one another in a direction parallel to the joint. Tapered load plates may be assembled into a load-plate basket with the direction of the taper alternating from one tapered load plate to the next to account for off-center saw cuts.